Rifle · Proprietary
.50-90 Sharps
Heavy .50 caliber black powder cartridge for the Sharps single-shot; used extensively by professional buffalo hunters and is associated with the Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874..
- Caliber
- 0.515″ · 13.08 mm
- Introduced
- 1872
- Case
- Rimmed
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1872
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Sharps Rifle Company
- Standard
- Proprietary
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Primer
- Berdan Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 22,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 300 yd
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for .50-90 Sharps, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 13.08 | 0.515 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.49 | 0.531 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 14.43 | 0.568 | ~ |
| Rim ⌀ | 16.76 | 0.660 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.80 | 0.071 | ~ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 63.63 | 2.505 | · |
| Overall length | 81.28 | 3.200 | · |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .50-90 Sharps is highlighted below.
Suitable powders
1 reloading powder listed for .50-90 Sharps, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .50-90 Sharps
3 models in the database chamber .50-90 Sharps. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
The .50-90 Sharps was the go-to cartridge for professional buffalo hunters in the early 1870s. Its most famous use was at the Battle of Adobe Walls in June 1874, where buffalo hunter Billy Dixon reportedly dropped a Comanche warrior at 1,538 yards with a Sharps .50-90 — a shot still celebrated in shooting folklore.
FAQs
- What bullet diameter is .50-90 Sharps?
- .50-90 Sharps uses a 0.515″ (13.08 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .50-90 Sharps still in production?
- .50-90 Sharps is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
- What are the best powders for .50-90 Sharps?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .50-90 Sharps include 5744.
Sources & provenance
- Standard C.I.P. — CIP TDCC datasheet — 50-90 Sharps 2"1/2 (Tab. II, rimmed) · bullet ⌀ archived
- Manufacturer Buffalo Arms Co. — 50-90 (50 2 1/2") Sharps Black Powder Ammo, 540 gr .510 in · bullet ⌀, grain weights archived
- Reference DBI Books — Cartridges of the World, 8th ed. (1997) — Frank C. Barnes, p.140 · year, velocity, grain weights
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →